Mamata Banerjee will come face to face with PM Narendra Modi on May 2 when she attends a meeting chaired by him of the national committee that has been set up to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

NEW DELHI: At a time when Trinamool Congress is engaged in a pitched battle with BJP over the upcoming panchayat elections in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee will come face to face with PM Narendra Modi on May 2 when she attends a meeting chaired by him of the national committee that has been set up to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

Celebrations will be held across the country and abroad for a year from October 2, 2019 to October 2, 2020, to propagate the Mahatma's message. The national committee, constituted in October 2017, has chief ministers of all states, representatives from across the political spectrum, Gandhians, thinkers, and eminent persons from all walks of life. The mandate of the committee is to approve policies, programmes and activities for the commemoration and supervise implementation of such decisions.

Banerjee will attend the meeting on Wednesday, it is learnt. But it is not known whether other non-NDA chief ministers will be present even as invitations have gone out to them.

There is no confirmation yet on Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu or any of the other non-NDA chief ministers attending the meeting. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's presence is ruled out as he is busy leading the Congress charge in state elections slated for May 12.

Banerjee will be attending the meeting at a time when she has been vehemently attacking the Centre and the BJP while working with other opposition parties to form a federal front against the saffron party in the run-up to the 2019 general elections.

While she has been critical of moves like the removal motion against the CJI initiated by Congress, she met former party chief Sonia Gandhi during her last visit to the Capital almost a month ago and has asked Congress to be part of the front but cautioned against trying to lead it.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia are expected to attend the May 2 meeting to plan the grand Gandhi Jayanti next year.

Banerjee will arrive in Delhi on May 1 and return to Kolkata on May 3 and is likely to meet other leaders during her stay. The TDP chief has been keeping in touch with other opposition leaders who are part of the anti-BJP front.

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